


someone you see in books or meet in dreams

by inmylife



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), Produce 101 (TV), Rainz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Dance, Deaf Character, Fluff, M/M, Sarcasm, eunki's SOPA squad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 21:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14798189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmylife/pseuds/inmylife
Summary: park haeyoung is my Baby, the deserved dancing queen, and the first season's rank 38. she and eunki are like destined to be besties. please support her she deserves the worldedit, the title is from 2pm's ten out of ten, HOW did i forget that





	someone you see in books or meet in dreams

**Author's Note:**

> park haeyoung is my Baby, the deserved dancing queen, and the first season's rank 38. she and eunki are like destined to be besties. please support her she deserves the world
> 
> edit, the title is from 2pm's ten out of ten, HOW did i forget that

There is a cute boy in the dance studio when Eunki walks in on Wednesday, and  _ why didn’t Taehyun or Haeyoung or someone give him any warning because what the fuck _ . He has red hair and beautiful eyes and a smile that could melt even Kwon Eunbin’s cold, cold heart and Eunki is in love. That’s it, he’s dead, he’s died and gone to heaven. And he’s pretty sure Taehyun is starting practice but screw Taehyun because Eunki doesn’t want to watch Taehyun’s hands if it means taking his eyes off this beautiful boy. 

 

Eunki watches the pretty boy and does whatever the pretty boy is doing until Haeyoung smacks him in the arm. Eunki registers, dimly, that she’s also been poking him for at least the past five minutes. 

 

“ _ What? _ ” He hand-shouts at her, annoyed. Haeyoung grins smugly and merely points to Taehyun. Taehyun, who is looking very irate, probably because Eunki hasn’t been paying any attention. 

 

Well, shit. 

 

~~~

 

“ _ Why didn’t you guys tell me there would be someone cute at practice _ ,” Eunki whines to the others after practice ends and the cute boy has left. 

 

“ _ I did tell you _ ,” Taehyun informs him. “ _ You just never pay attention. _ ” 

 

“ _ Okay, okay, I acknowledge that, _ ” Eunki concedes. “ _ But am I as bad as Yoojung? _ ”

 

“ _ You’re worse, _ ” Taehyun tells him, visibly sighing, “ _ because Yoojung is hearing and therefore can’t tune out what I say unless she has her music in very loudly. If you don’t want to listen to me all you have to do is look away. This is why you are my least favorite _ .” 

 

Taehyun doesn’t mean that. Taehyun’s least favorite is probably Woojin, because Woojin, despite being a freshman and a pretty shy one at that, argues with Taehyun all the time over choreography. Taehyun is the only senior left on the dance team because Sooyeon quit and Sungwoo and Hayi graduated after fall semester and he hates having his authority questioned. Also, Taehyun says everyone is his least favorite, if Haeyoung and Hyunmin are to be believed anyway. 

 

“ _ I’m sorry, hyung, _ ” says Eunki. “ _ You know I’m not usually like this. I’ll do better next time. _ ” 

 

Jieqiong says something and Haeyoung’s hands go straight to her mouth to try and hide the fact that she’s laughing. 

 

“ _ What? _ ” 

 

“ _ She says you’re only bad at paying attention when you’re feeling really gay _ .” 

 

Eunki doesn’t dispute that. 

 

“ _ Okay, but who was he? And why was he in dance practice? _ ” 

 

“ _ His name is Jung Jung, _ ” Hyunmin informs him. (This is one of the many,  _ many _ reasons why Hyunmin is Eunki’s favorite freshman.) “ _ He transferred here from China and he’s friends with Chungha noona. And he’s a really good dancer. _ ” Eunki had noticed this. “ _ Taehyun hyung said he could come and dance with us at practice to see if he wanted to join. _ ”

 

“ _ And? _ ” Eunki presses. “ _ Is he going to join? _ ”

 

Hyunmin nods uncertainly and Eunki grins. Jieqiong makes a face. Eunki rolls his eyes at her because it’s not like she and Nayoung are any better. 

 

~~~

 

“... _ and he’s so pretty, Seokmin, you have no idea. _ ”

 

“ _ Actually, I do have an idea, Eunki, _ ” his roommate responds. “ _ You have been telling me this for god knows how long. _ ” 

 

Eunki flips him off. “ _ You weren’t there. It’s different. _ ” 

 

“ _ Whatever. Anyway, you had better do something about it, because as much as I love you I don’t want to put up with your lovesick rambling for the next however many months. _ ” 

 

“ _ What do you mean, do something about it? _ ” 

 

“ _ Like are you going to talk to him. _ ” 

 

“ _ I’m sorry? _ ”

 

“ _ Are you going to try to get to know him instead of pining? _ ”

 

“ _ Doesn’t he, like, not know Korean? _ ” 

 

To be completely honest, Eunki doesn’t know how this will work. Eunki is deaf. This other boy - Jung Jung - is Chinese. The only way any communication would be possible would be, like, texting, or passing notes like twelve year olds, with most of it facilitated via either Jieqiong or Google Translate, and that’s time consuming and contrived and not really what Eunki wants anyway. He’s already resigned himself to a future of frustrated lonely pining and watching the pretty boy dance with no desirable outcome. 

 

“ _ He speaks Korean really well, actually, I asked Xiao, they’re friends. _ ” Seokmin counters. “ _ Eunki, you can talk. And lip read. He really doesn’t have a strong accent from what I could tell. Talk to him, because Haeyoung will probably murder you if you don’t _ .” 

 

“ _ Well, if it’s that or murder, _ ” Eunki shrugs. He has no intention of talking to Jung Jung. 

 

~~~

 

As much as Eunki loves Haeyoung - his best friend since middle school, the person who convinced him to pick up dancing again, the reason he joined the dance team in college in the first place - he also hates her. 

 

“ _ Donghan texted me last night and I agree with him so I am making you interact with this boy if it’s the last thing I do, _ ” she signs to him, face set grimly determined. 

 

Eunki hates talking to people. It’s not that he’s bad at it. He didn’t go deaf until he was ten, he learned how to talk like most people and has an understanding of what speaking at a socially acceptable volume feels like. It’s simply that if he says something wrong he isn’t necessarily going to know until someone reacts to it. 

 

Also, he hates lip reading. That shit’s hard. 

 

“ _ I hate you. _ ” He tells Haeyoung. 

 

“ _ You’ll thank me later, _ ” she informs him. She grabs him by the wrist and pulls him over to Jung Jung. He looks just as beautiful as he did three days ago. Eunki is very in love. Haeyoung starts talking to the older boy, then her hands inform Eunki that “ _ I’m explaining to him that you’re deaf but you can talk and that despite making a total fool of yourself next to him on Wednesday you were never formally introduced. Also, he just said hello to you. _ ” 

 

“Hi,” says Eunki. “I’m Eunki. I’m a sophomore. Nice to meet you.” 

 

Jung Jung waves and says something that’s probably “nice to meet you too,” but then Taehyun comes in to start practice and Haeyoung steers Eunki to the other end of the room (presumably so he doesn’t spend the entire practice distracted by Jung Jung again), but not before Eunki gets out a “talk to you later” or something like that that he thinks he may have shouted. 

 

Eunki thinks he will survive practice without dying because he knows the routine well enough that he could do it in his sleep, except Eunki has forgotten that they are now in the second semester and that means preparing for the showcase. 

 

The showcase works like this: the seniors choreograph a solo number and everyone else splits off into groups, usually of three or four. There is only one senior and that is Taehyun, so the other eighteen members are going to split into six groups of three. Taehyun tells them to get their own groups together and then opens his phone, presumably texting his mysterious significant other. 

 

Nayoung claims Jieqiong and Siwon almost immediately, then Daniel and Seongwoo take Jonghyun. Yoojung, Chungha, and Eunbin probably already know exactly what they’re doing, judging by how deviously they’re grinning. If Eunki had his way, he would be in a group with Haeyoung and Donghan, but Haeyoung is currently arguing with Taehyun along with Sua, Jungmin, and Gaeul to convince him that they should be allowed to have a group of four. Eunki has half a mind to be the third to Woojin and Hyunmin, because Hyunmin is his favorite freshman by far, but Donghan gets this evil look on his face and puts his arms around both their shoulders. This leaves Eunki with Jung Jung. Part of him wants to thank Donghan. The other part of him wants to kill him. 

 

Chungha takes out a notebook and Yoojung and Eunbin gather on either side, with pencils, scribbling madly. Jieqiong has her phone out and a headphone splitter stuck into it, recommending music to Nayoung and Siwon. Daniel and Seongwoo are running ideas by Jonghyun, and Hyunmin is asking Taehyun a question. And Jung Jung - has just proffered his phone to Eunki. It’s an open contacts page and Eunki’s name is already at the top. Oh. He puts his number in and gives the phone back. 

 

His own phone vibrates in his pocket a moment later. 

 

**[unknown number]**

hi eunki! this is jung jung!! ^-^ 

 

**Me**

hey hyung!

 

**jung jung hyung**

i think texting would be the easiest way to think of ideas? 

talk about ideas? i don’t know ㅠㅠ

 

**Me**

to communicate?

 

**jung jung hyung**

yes that o.o 

i’m still not as good at korean yet :( 

but at least if we’re texting one of us knows what we’re saying? hehe

 

**Me**

yes, thanks

so what kind of dance do you do? what are you best at?

 

**jung jung hyung**

i do modern dance mostly!!! 

you?

 

**Me**

i can do modern dance too, let’s do that?

you’re in charge of picking a song obviously just make sure its pretty

 

**jung jung hyung**

you can trust me~

 

Jung Jung texts how he looks - adorable. It frustrates Eunki. 

 

The song Jung Jung sends him later that night has lyrics in English, and the video is sad - a woman sitting at an abandoned piano. Eunki knows immediately what he wants to do with this. 

 

~~~

 

“ _ You got his number _ .” 

 

Donghan grins down at Eunki, from Seokmin’s bed (why is he in their dorm?) which is at a stupid height - who even wants a bed that high - and across the room. Given, their dorm is small, so it isn’t that far. It still feels like Donghan is looking down at him. 

 

“ _ Only because Haeyoung was being stubborn and your meddling ass just had to steal my favorite freshman. _ ” Eunki glares at Donghan. 

 

“ _ What do you say to your kind and loving friend for getting you a cute boy’s number? _ ”

 

“ _ Fuck you, that’s what _ .” Donghan rolls his eyes very conspicuously and opens his laptop, effectively telling Eunki  _ fuck you _ right back. 

 

**Me**

so here’s the deal w the showcase preparation right

since i was here last year

we dont usually spend entire rehearsals working on it???

like we need to find time to practice on our own

what times are good for you?

 

**jung jung hyung**

ahhh thursday maybe? i don’t have classes then

or any time on the weekend really!

 

Eunki smiles. Donghan throws something at him - a stuffed toy or something that literal sunshine Seokmin proudly claims as his. 

 

“ _ Who are you texting? _ ” Donghan’s wearing his shit-eating grin again. 

 

“ _ None of your business _ .” Eunki looks away. He can feel himself blushing hard and he isn’t going to take this from Donghan right now. 

 

The next thing to hit him is a paper airplane. Eunki opens it. Inside, Donghan has scribbled,  is it jung jung hyung?

 

Eunki needs new friends. 

 

~~~

 

It surprises Eunki how often they end up meeting. Jung Jung is, in fact, friends with Cheng Xiao, and so Jung Jung comes to the library with them to study at least twice. Jiho laughs both times because Jung Jung and Eunki get sidetracked and just talk about dance. Then Cheng Xiao complains because “I don’t come here to spend time with my lovely study buddies and then just talk about my dance team the whole time!” Jiho and Seokmin then roundly assure her that she does, and the second time this happens Eunki just ends up leaving.

 

Someone taps his shoulder. He turns, and it’s Jung Jung. “ _ What? _ ”

 

“ _ Why did you leave? _ ” 

 

“ _ I couldn’t get any studying done, _ ” Eunki explains, but they both know that’s not why. If Eunki didn’t want to be distracted, he would have told them to stop signing to him or he would have just turned around and stopped looking at them. 

 

“ _ Do you want to go practice? _ ” 

 

Eunki says yes. 

 

~~~

 

The next rehearsal they spend on their showcase acts is a hot mess. 

 

Well, not for everyone. Eunbin, Yoojung, and Chungha stun everyone with their routine to Bang Bang, Jonghyun, Seongwoo, and Daniel’s routine to an old Super Junior song is sharp and polished, and Haeyoung’s group of affectionately nicknamed “suit gays” (Sua’s words, not Eunki’s) oozes sophistication in their choreography, which involves ties (one of which was stolen from Eunki). And, of course, Jung Jung and Eunki’s very gay, very sad choreography, which has Haeyoung shrilling to the point that Eunki can feel it. Gaeul tells her to shut up, and then informs Eunki that the dance was very good. 

 

It’s just that Jieqiong is still angry at Nayoung and Siwon over their choice of song, and Donghan’s been slow at getting his and Woojin’s and Hyunmin’s choreography down. Taehyun yells at Jieqiong about pettiness and attitude, and then sighs and tells Donghan to practice more. This stresses Hyunmin out, so he comes and burrows himself next to Eunki. Hyunmin laughs while Eunki teaches Jung Jung to curse in sign language. Taehyun has decided to yell at Jieqiong again, and Woojin is absorbed in teaching Donghan their choreography, so Eunki figures he has at least five more minutes to destress his baby. 

 

_ “You ok?” _ Eunki asks his favorite freshman when Jung Jung goes to buy Gatorade from the vending machines. 

 

_ “Just worried,” _ Hyunmin signs in return.  _ “I don’t like doing acrobatics in routines. It makes me worry about getting hurt.” _

 

Eunki pulls Hyunmin a little closer - the kid’s practically lying across his lap now. Eunki knows Hyunmin’s a worrier by nature, and he does his best to alleviate what anxiety he can for this sweet, sweet kid, friendly, who’d learned basic sign in a semester, who in the past six weeks has remained unwaveringly supportive of Eunki’s crush without being the overbearing and meddling mess Haeyoung and Donghan have been.  _ “Don’t worry,” _ Eunki reassures.  _ “Hyungs and noonas will take care of you.” _

 

Hyunmin smiles up at him. He doesn’t do this often, he’s shy about his smile, but he smiles for Eunki. This is one of the many reasons Eunki loves him. Then, Jung Jung comes back with two bottles of orange Gatorade for Hyunmin and Eunki and a bottle of blue Gatorade for himself, and the conversation is over. 

 

~~~

 

**jung jung hyung**

it’s sweet how you mother him…

 

**Me**

who?

hyunminnie?

 

**jung jung hyung**

yes!

i couldn’t tell what you were talking about,

but it’s clear you really care about him

 

**Me**

ah yea he’s nervous abt their routine

 

**jung jung hyung**

can i kiss you?

 

Eunki drops his phone. 

 

They’re in the practice room, at eleven at night, the fluorescent overhead lights still on, texting because Eunki isn’t confident talking and Jung Jung can’t sign well enough to hold a conversation that isn’t about dance or grocery shopping. 

 

Eunki says this aloud to further accent his disbelief. “What?” 

 

Jung Jung looks him straight in the eye, and signs, “ _ I like you, Eunki.” _

 

A smile spreads across Eunki’s face. His body follows momentum across the room, like a wave being pulled by the moon, and his lips crash into Jung Jung’s. 

 

Later, Eunki will speak praises against Jung Jung’s skin, and he will probably speak them wrongly, but he will know Jung Jung loves him for it all the more. 

**Author's Note:**

> im just really bad at ending fics i guess wow 
> 
> if i've done something horribly wrong, yell at me at zhengkis (tumblr) or missyehana (twitter)


End file.
